Fire Chars One Texas Home, Almost Burns Second

Daniel Novick-KFOX News Reporter
Story by kfoxtv.com On Oct 29, 2007

EL PASO, Texas
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The home at 10171 Galahad in Northeast El Paso charred after a massive blaze around 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters on the scene blame an overloaded electrical circuit for starting the fire. A total of 13 fire units responded to put out the blaze, and next door neighbor Harry Johnson saw the whole thing unfold.

"When I opened my car garage, all the smoke started compiling into my garage, and then I looked over and I seen that the house was on fire. The black smoke just coming out of that one window, and the flame was jumping from one house over to my house," said Johnson.

The first firefighter on the scene did what he could to save Johnson's house.

"He took the hose from me with the water, and told me to get everybody out of my house," said Johnson.

The firefighter use not a fire hose, but Johnson's garden hose.

"He put the water on my house, because he knew he couldn't do nothing with that one over there, but he kept my house wet until the fire department got here," said Johnson.

The fire ripped through two bedrooms of the house it started in, but only slightly damaged Johnson's roof.

"I really appreciate that guy from the fire department because he really took care of me," said Johnson.

The blaze could have easily taken two homes, if it was not for the quick work of one firefighter, and your run-of-the-mill garden hose.

"That little hose saved my house," said Johnson.

So many firefighters were called to the scene because they initially believed that both homes had already caught fire. Fire officials said the Red Cross was called out to help the family who lives in the damaged home.